


Lifted

by SoaringWings



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Revenge, Violence, Wingfic, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2014-06-21
Packaged: 2018-01-24 07:32:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1596698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoaringWings/pseuds/SoaringWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As ghosts from Angel's past emerge, she leaves Loki with a promise to return in order to confront and destroy them. Leaving disrupts their relationship, but Loki isn't going to let her face them alone.</p><p>Sequel to Broken! Read that work first or you will be really confused.<br/>*OFFICIALY ABANDONED DUE TO LACK OF INSPIRATION I'M SOOOO SORRY*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Party

In Stark Tower, on a warm June day that baked you if you sat to long in the sun, Angel and Loki curled up on the couch, watching a movie. Clint and Thor had joined them in their first viewing of ‘The West Side story’. Only Angel had seen it before. Angel sat in one corner, bare legs in shorts curled under her. She let her wings unfold and fanned them back; something that she was doing increasingly more often and a sight that everyone was slowly getting used to.

Loki, long body spread out along the entire length of the couch in a simple green shirt and grey toned pants, had laid his head in Angel’s lap. She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling as his focused face scrunched up at the movie.

“The idea of love at first sight is very contrived way of thinking.” They were at the part of the movie where Tony and Maria were singing their big number.

“But it’s a nice way of thinking. Admit it; ya’ll liked the opening number.”

“Yeah.” Said Clint, boots propped up on the table. “But I don’t understand the blank screen with lights at the beginning.”

“I agree.” Boomed Thor. “Though I did like the song about the officer more, even if it did not make sense to me.”

“Remind me to show you the Star Wars movies next. Excluding the prequels.”

Loki gave her a pointed look. “Right after you finish reading Romeo and Juliet.” Angel rolled her eyes. “You know,” he continued. “I believe that this movie is based off that story. Both main characters are separated by prejudice, and they decide they love each other after meeting only once.”

Angel nodded. “You’re right.” Just then, Tony and Pepper burst in, the latter looking very excited about something.

“Guess what?” she said, not waiting for a response. “’There’s a Fourth of July banquet coming up, and we’re all going!”

Thor looked confused. “What is significant about the Fourth of next month?”

“Thor,” began Clint. “It’s the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, when America declared independence from England. We can watch a documentary about it later.” Thor nodded.

“Living with an American icon has its benefits.” Said Tony. “Though there are more perks with being a millionaire.” Loki rolled his eyes. “I saw that!”

“Anyway,” squealed Pepper. “Shopping! We get to go shopping!” A collective groan filled the room. “What?” she said indignantly. “Angel, you’re at least looking forward to it, right?” She spotted Angel, sinking into her seat. “Really?”

“I always look gawky in dresses.” She groaned. “And I clomp in heels.”

Loki eyed her mischievously. “You in a dress?” he mused. “This could be a good thing.” She swatted his arm. “Shush! You have to get a suit you know.”

“I know, but I know I look good in one.” Then he grimaced. “But the last time I wore one to an event, it didn’t go so well.”

Clint narrowed his eyes and looked away. _Ask about that later._ Jane, Darcy, and Natasha walked in just then, purses in the scientist and the assistant’s arms. Angel made a connection. “Hey!” Darcy was yanking her upwards, but Angel went limp, and slid to the floor in protest. Loki smirked and pulled her up so that she was standing. Natasha and Pepper whisked her away, Angel grumbling about shoes.

“Ok.” Said Tony, clapping his hands together. “Let’s get Steve and Bruce and head out after the girls.” A green light shimmered over Loki, and when it disappeared, it left him in a nice tailored suit. Clint moaned. “Unfair!”

 

On the night of the banquet, Loki found himself and the other men waiting of the women. All of them were complaining, until the elevator finally arrived. Natasha stepped out, a beautiful red head in a beautiful dress that barely covered the essentials. Darcy stepped out in a pretty white one, with a white matching flower in her hair. Jane was wearing a dark blue dress, which Thor found to be the most gorgeous thing in the universe, after her of course. She did look pretty striking in it. Pepper walked out in another blue dress, a very fashionable one that managed to look stylish and slightly business like. Tony was all over that.

Then, clumsily in her shoes, Angel stepped out. Her red dress reached just past her knees, flaring with ruffles at the hem and short sleeves. The front ends of her hair were pulled back with a red, white, and blue hair tie, ribboning down her hair. It shaped her just perfectly, also showing off her long legs in one inch heels. Someone leaned in to Loki.

“Close your mouth lover boy.” Said Tony in an exaggerated whisper. Loki quickly shut his mouth, unaware it had opened. Angel laughed and sauntered up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“You look lovely my dear.” And he really meant it.

“You too. The green tie is a nice touch.” Loki leaned in and they kissed. Tony whistled. Loki glared at him, then picked up Angel by the waist and carried her to the elevator before setting her down. “See you on the bottom floor.” He called after him.

Steve shook his head. “You know,” he began, but was cut short by the lack of attention. Thor and Jane were kissing, along with Pepper and Tony respectively. He and Bruce stood there awkwardly, while Clint tried to escape through the elevator. But it wouldn’t open.

“Loki!” he yelled. “You know it’s a long walk down!”

 

Inside, the pair finally tore away for air. Angel pressed her head to his, taking in his scent and smile. “Loki. I want it to be like this forever.” Loki looked into her eyes, and he knew he loved her. “Me too, love. Though maybe we could go farther…” she poked him in the stomach.

“I told you! I wait until marriage! I promised my good Christen mother, and I broke pretty much every single commandment and then some, that I would at least, so help me God, keep my knees together until then.” Loki rolled his eyes. “My dad would have a few choice words to say to you.”

He loved how she was comfortable around him and trusted him, and was honored that she even mentioned her parents. She seemed happy to talk about them. One day he would be more open about his own, and about everything with her. But right now, he enjoyed being love struck.

 

That night, they drove along the busy streets. Eventually they came upon the elaborate entrance. Bruce, Loki, and Angel chose to take the back entrance. None of them wanted to be caught in a tabloid. Entering through the back, Loki took Angel’s arm. Towing him along, she pulled him along through the crowd, wanting to see the band. As they began to play the national anthem, she winked at him.

“I sure hope you remember the words.” She whispered. Sure enough, he stumbled through it. He pardoned himself to get drinks, getting him out of having to sing anymore. Singing along softly, Angel caught a gleam out of the corner of her eye. A woman was checking her makeup in a tiny mirror next to her. She briefly gazed into it, seeing something other than her own reflection. Someone was on the roof. With a gun. Pointed straight at Tony.

Gliding through the ocean of people, she sought out Steve. Surrounded by admiring fans, she pushed through, much to their annoyance.

“Stevie!” she cooed sweetly, which instantly made him suspicious. She only called Loki by a nickname. “Could I have a word, alone?” She twirled a lock of hair in her finger, despising herself. He pardoned himself and parted from the crowd. “Stevie.” She giggled, clasping her hands in front of her, swinging them side to side. In a girlish tone she said, “There is a sniper on the roof pointed _right_ at Tony!” She laughed like a valley girl. “They’re planning on _assassinating_ him! Dear Lord Steve….”

Playing along, he laughed too. “I’m on it!” With that, he turned away. Tip toeing though the party, she tried to find Loki. Irritated, she stood of to the side next to a fancy column. She needed to find him. She needed to make sure he was safe. Letting out an aggravated breath, she moved to start her search again. But a hand grabbed her and pulled her back, into the shadows.

Before she could think, she was whisked away into a closet. Stumbling over brooms and other supplies, she quickly straightened herself as the one who grabbed her also tripped over. Grabbing him by the throat, she shoved him against a wall, unsheathing her claws. Pricking it against his skin, she left no room for him to squirm.

“I will kill you.” She hissed into his face, which she couldn’t see.

“You haven’t changed, Birdy.” The voice was rough, and smug. Very, very smug.

Angel knew that voice, and there were only a few people in the world who called her by that infuriating nickname. Reaching an arm over for the light, she saw a face she hadn’t seen in years.

“Point?”

He smiled, revealing crooked teeth. His face was square and tan, scarred. His black eyes and slicked down red hair (which was always slicked down and unsettling) told her that it was him.

“Hey Angel.” Pushing her back, he straightened up. “Nice to see you. How are you still alive? We thought you were killed.” She stood there, her expression giving nothing away. What he said didn’t make sense to her. “We haven’t seen you since we sent you to the warehouse. We knew that they found you, and we thought for sure that you had died.”

“How did they find out?” She demanded; her voice tense. “How!” _Charlotte died in that warehouse. She would have lived if we hadn’t gone there. If you hadn’t sent us there._ “You told me it was a safe house!”

“I know, we thought so too! But they were on our tail, and we had to leave. We didn’t have time to clean up. We….”

“You what?”

“We left behind evidence. A note. It led them to the warehouse. I’m sorry.” She clenched her knuckles, still silent. _You never leave evidence behind. You’d burn a place to hide evidence._ “It wasn’t our fault! It was theirs! Birdy, please.” She refused to speak, concentrating on not slicing his neck. “Listen. We’ve found a way for revenge. Revenge on everyone who wronged us, and those who failed to defend us.”

She narrowed her yes. “What are you saying?”

“I’ve formed a group. Us and two others. We’re going to take back what ours. We’re going to get revenge. We’re starting with this. We’re going to kill Tony Stark.” She blinked. Leaning in, his eyes filled with delight. “That’s what you’re doing too, isn’t it? You’re going to kill Captain Rogers.”

Without hesitation she replied, “Yeah. And it almost worked until you pulled me in here. We were meeting there for a little… Well you know.”

He laughed. “Yes! I knew it! Come on; meet us out back, near the dumpsters. There are some people you’ll want to see!”

“Ok.”

Turning away, he stopped. “Oh, and forget about the past. You betrayed us, but I’ll let it slide.”

Angel nodded, burying her claws into her arm behind her back. “I’ve would have done the same. It was just survival. I should have given myself to them anyways. I shouldn’t have been selfish. We’ve talked about this that night, you know.” He winked at her.

“I knew you’d realized that. I’ve always known that you were one of us. I always knew. I know you better than you do. Believe me.” He smiled and left.

She felt her skin break and blood on her fingertips, but it didn’t hurt. She was filled with rage. Nothing would hurt like that night. They had led them right to her and Charlotte. They had betrayed her. Twice.


	2. Leaving

Sweeping across the floor, she found Loki.

“Ah.” He smiled; two drinks in each hand. “There you are darling. Where were you?” She took his wrist, dragging him along. “What…”

She turned around and winked at him, trying not to seem tense. “I found something.” She led him to a fountain, where only a few guest were. Stopping there, she took a glass from him and swallowed it in one gulp. Wrapping her arms around her neck, she kissed him, hard. He kissed back, equally as passionately. Pulling away, she murmured into his ear, “I love you Loki.” Burying his head into her neck, he whispered, “I love you too. I love you so much.”

Overhead, a voice announced that Tony was about to speak. Loki rolled his eyes. “How about we just skip?”

She ran her fingers through his hair. “You’ve never heard one of his public speeches. You don’t want to miss it.” Sighing, which was his sign of agreeing, they made their way to the stage. Angel lost Loki in the wave of people and walked the other way. Grabbing two more drinks from a waiter, she blinked back tears.

Walking out the back, she heard voices. Stopping short, she eavesdropped in on the conversation.

“Can we really trust her again?” The voice was young and female. It sounded familiar.

“I told you.” It was Point. “She believes me. She was going to kill Captain Rogers.”

“She’s smart. She’s perceptive. She knows that we led them to her.”

“Helen,” _Helen?_ “We need her. We’ve been struggling without her, and we need new members. You know I can really read people. She trusts us. Don’t worry about it.” This seemed to satisfy her, and Angel knew that once Point said something like that, Helen would believe him. Point had that charm.  

 _They gave us away in order to save themselves._ This thought burned inside her, making her bitter and hard. She waited for a few minutes more before showing herself. Just enough so they wouldn’t know that she had been listening. They straightened as she walked towards them.

“Hey.” Pointed nodded in reply as Helen crossed her arms, still wary. Instead of formal ware, she wore jeans and a grey hoodie. Her bright Carmel eyes contrasted with her ever present look of disgust and her hair; half dyed green and black. Her hair had originally been brown. A beautiful brown.

“How about it Birdy?” he asked. “You want to join?”

“Why not? I’ve been struggling.” She put her hands on her hips and looked Helen. “Hi. Haven’t seen you in a while. You’ve grown.”

Helen stood up straighter, which still didn’t match Angel’s height. “Yeah. And I’m not 12 anymore, I’m 16. I make my own decisions now.” Helen had always had issues with authority if it was anyone other than Point telling her what to do. But Angel, regardless of her plan, wasn’t going to let her think she was in charge of her.

“And I’m not 19 anymore. We’re both adults. How about we treat each other like it?” Helen narrowed her eyes but said nothing. Angel turned to Point. “I have to get my stuff together. Where do you want to meet?”

“Midtown. We’ll drive out to our hideout. Now Angel, you have to understand. We won’t be having you do much. Not yet at least. You see, while I may trust you, our friends don’t yet. You’ve proven yourself my attempting to kill the Captain…”

“Which you screwed up.” She interrupted.

“Yes, well, we’ll have you do stuff like sort supplies and clean until you get used to things. Then we’ll get you on a mission.”

Angel lifted an eyebrow. “I’m not a maid.”

“I know, I know! But this will only be for a while. And Helen and Kore, while younger than you, will have some authority over you.” Angel turned to walk away. “Wait!” he yanked her arm, spinning her around.

Glaring at him, she spat, “I can deal with the intermission period, but I will not be bossed around by kids!”

“Hey!” he coaxed. “Then how about I take that part out? What about if you guys are equal? I and the others have some say, but we won’t be overbearing or unfair. What do you say? Deal?” He extended his hand out to her.

She bit her lip before taking it and shaking. Then a devilish smile crept up her face. “They’ll pay.” She whispered. “They’ll all pay for what they’ve done to us.” Little did they know, Angel was speaking to Charlotte and not them.

 

Clomping down the street, Angel brushed past waves and waves of people. She was running on rage; rage that was deeply seeded inside her soul. It made her forget all the other thoughts and regrets she had; which would have made her turn back. Angel was beyond reason. The sky darkened as the clouds clustered. Raindrops started to fall.

Like a sprinter, she tried to make it to some form of shelter, but no such luck. This was the one night when the sky needed to drench buckets on the unlucky souls left outside. Running down her back and causing her to shiver, it flattened her hair and made her heels slippery and impossible to maneuver in. Stumbling, she slipped from her shoe.

Catching herself, she bent over in the rain and wiggled free. Carrying them in one hand, she ran underneath an awning. Catching her breath, she watched fat drops chase away people from the streets. Pulling her hair from her eyes, she tried to ignore the cold damp that seeped into her skin from her dress. Drawing a shaking breath, she leapt from safety.

Running. She was back to running again. But she was no longer running from, but to. To a dangerous place filled with mutants who were responsible for the death of who had been her only friend in the world. Charlotte. As her bare feet scraped the ground, she could feel her skin break. It was probably bleeding, but she couldn’t stop.

Finally reaching the Tower elevator, she looked at herself in the mirror walls. Her red dress was a deeper color. It dripped water to the floor. Her hair was frizzy as the air conditioning dried it out. She was pale and her lungs heaved for air as she shook with a chill. She looked as she had fallen into a pool of ice water. She felt that way too.

“Miss. Riker?” It was Jarvis. “Are you hurt?” He was referring to her bleeding heel.

“Yes. But not in the way doctors can fix.” She replied somberly. “Hey, Jarvis? I need you to tell Loki that I’m sorry, and that I love him. Tell everyone that there’s something that I have to do. I’m going to get revenge; that’s all they need to know. I will be back.”

“Noted”

Sweeping through the hall into her room, she threw her shoes into a corner and quickly packed. Throwing on a jacket and pulling on boots without socks, she put her straps on her thighs and sheathed her knives. Throwing her messenger bag on, she couldn’t leave fast enough, yet she stopped at the door. She directly faced Loki’s room. Pausing, she lowered her head in shame. Crossing over to his door, she entered.

Stopping, she looked around. Clean and neat, the way Loki liked to keep it. Unfolding her wings, she wrapped them around her. Plucking a feather out, which made her wince, she held it to her heart. Stroking it softly, she took a few timid steps forward. Placing it on the bed with two hands, she left it on his pillow.

Stumbling from the room, she bumped her arm on the doorway. It hurt, but she ignored it. Rushing through the hall, she reached the elevator. She stared at the reflection in the mirror. Tears streamed out of her hollow eyes down her puffy cheeks. Letting out a strangled breath, she crossed her arms across her chest. Sliding down, she whined pathetically. This hurt. There was a pain deep in her soul which hurt more than any whip ever could. Her heart physically ached.

She was betraying Loki to get revenge. She was leaving to do something so petty. But she had to avenge Charlotte, she just had to. With all her soul, even though it hurt, she had to do this. It wasn’t really a choice. All she wanted was to be back in Loki’s arm. He had made so much progress, he was a better man. He was happy. They were happy. But Angel had left that behind.

On her knees, she sobbed. Drying heaving she shook. She was in so much pain. This hurt so much. She had acted like their love meant nothing to her, but it was her world.

 

At the party, Loki was becoming bored of Tony’s speech. He turned to speak with Angel, but she wasn’t there. Peering through the crowd, he tried to find her. In the corner of his eye, he saw something on the roof move. Whipping around, he saw someone wearing a ski mask crouched low, a rifle in hand. A larger standing shape snuck up to him. The Captain. Predicting the ensuing chaos, Loki wove through the crowd. Finding a clear spot off to the side, he waited, still trying to find Angel.

He saw the Captain reach over and wrench the gun from the man’s hand. Diving to the side, the man kicked upwards. It bought him enough time to stand and grab the gun. A few shots rang out, stopping Tony midsentence and silencing the room. Steve managed to throw the gun to the side.

The man took a few steps back. Then rolling up the edge of the mask so that his neck showed, he _screamed._ A sharp piercing sound filled the air as flaps on his neck vibrated. It was like a whistle, but much worse. Everyone grasped their eats, even him, and some people yelled in pain. The hollow sound shook your bones and clawed at your ears. It was excruciating. Everyone stood there, not knowing what to do.

Daring to uncover his ears, Loki reached out to a fire alarm. Pulling it down, a much louder but less sharp noise filled the air. This brought everyone to their senses, and they rushed out the room in a large wave. Only the Avengers stayed behind. The screeching stopped, and when Loki looked back to the roof, only the Captain was standing there.

Loki walked over to where Thor and Bruce were standing with Jane, Pepper, and Darcy as the sirens continued to wail. Jane turned around and gasped, bumping into Thor when Natasha and Clint walked in. Clint had Natasha’s arm draped over his shoulders. Her arm was held out and…. Loki had to look away. Her arm was covered in a green goop and…. It was bubbling.

Unable to take anymore, he carefully grabbed her arm. Placing his other hand an inch from it, he let his magic freeze it. Clint looked at him warily. Then with a twist of his hand, he cracked it. The goop, now bluish, fell off to reveal a large reddish mark on her skin. It had burned through several layers of skin, showing a sensitive vain. He stepped back.

Clint looked up. “We’ve got a mutant who can spit acid on our hands.” You could barely hear him.

“And one with sonic screech.” Added Steve, over the alarm. Clint bared his teeth.

“Has anyone seen Angel?” asked Loki. Everyone stared at him. He scowled at their shocked expressions.

“She told me she saw someone on the roof, but I haven’t seen her since then.” Said Steve, his face scrunching. “I thought she went off to find you. Did she go out with the rest of the crowd?”

Tony threw his hands up. “Can we talk about this, like not here? I can’t hear myself think.” As they walked out, Loki tore away and began to search. Everyone was out in the street in clusters, blocking traffic. After a few minutes, police and fire trucks arrived, followed by rain.

His brother finally grabbed him as the rain soaked through his suit to his bones. He was pulled into a car. Next to Bruce and Steve in the back of a van (the others were split into two other vehicles), Bruce received a call. Bruce didn’t say anything that would give the topic away, but he flipped through his phone until he pulled up a video and held it out so that Steve and Loki could see.

Angel was speaking with Steve, twisting her hair and acting like the ditz she wasn’t. They parted ways and Angel drifted off. He noticed that she repeatedly mouthed ‘Loki’. Frustrated, she stood off to the side. A hand grabbed her and pulled her into the darkness. Bruce reached up and fast forward a few minutes. Sweeping out of the darkness, she glanced around. Finding Loki, she took his wrist and pulled him away.

Steve briefly glanced at Loki, and Loki found it in him to smirk. Bruce fast forwarded another few minutes. Loki spotted Angel following him back. As they progressed, she slowed down. Hesitating, she reached an arm out before turning away. She dashed out of the room. Loki blinked. What was on screen didn’t register in his mind.

“Loki. Loki!” Realizing that his name had been called several times, he looked at the Captain. “Are you alright?” He ignored this.

“Show me the tower footage.” Bruce gave him a look that said _you don’t want to see,_ and Loki returned one that said _I really do._ Bruce turned to the other video. It started with Angel tiptoeing into the lobby into the elevator. Her footprints were a trail of blood. He heard what she told Jarvis, of which conflicted him. She loved him, yet she left him for revenge. He felt betrayed. Was that more important to her?

On screen Angel was staring at herself in the mirror. Dark circles formed under her hollow eyes, and she shivered in her wet dress. He wanted to make that stop. He wanted to bring her a blanket, anything to make her comfortable. But she had _left._ She stomped out into her room and returned in boots, a jacket, and her bag. She stopped in the doorway and stared at his door. Loki’s heart raced.

She stepped into his door for no longer than a minute and when she left, she was crying. In the elevator, she curled up, and simply wept. A lump formed in his throat as she whimpered. The elevator dinged and opened. Swallowing a sob, she stood. Straightening her clothing, she let out a breath, her face getting hard. Though red and splotchy, it was the same face Tony had seen when she was about to jump off the cliff. It was the same face Loki had seen when she had traded herself for him in order to save him.

Brushing back her hair, she gritted her teeth and stomped out, daring the world to challenge her. Loki shut his eyes and braced his head against the window.

Bruce ran a hand through his hair nervously. “What are we going to do?”

Steve shook his head. “What _can_ we do?”


	3. Unforgivable

An hour later, Angel found herself in the backseat of a rusting car that comfortably sat four, not five. Roger, a 26 year old with gaunt eyes and noticeable lumps on his face and neck, drove. He had been one of her friends. He was higher strung than she remembered, but he still spit a goopy acid. After hearing his story about Natasha, Angel had to make herself laugh along. Point sat in the passenger seat, keeping a steady line of sight on the road.

The stranger to her, Gate, sat behind Roger. He was about his age too. He, she learned, had the ability to sonically screech using flaps on his neck. He was a heck of a sniper too, a talent he had developed before he was mutated. With sharp brown eyes and shaggy brown hair, Angel was wary of him. Point saw this and tried to reassure her. He didn’t know that she didn’t trust anyone in the car, but she acted assured like she was supposed to.

Currently, he was polishing his prized gun, with a devilish smile curling up his cheek and a foot propped against Roger’s left shoulder. Helen sat in the middle on the hump, not pleased about the arrangement. This pleased Angel, since she remembered Helen referred to it as the ‘bitch’ seat, and tried to make either her or Kore sit on it. Being the youngest, she never won. Helen had the power to manipulate her own bones. She could jet pointy bones out of her palms and elbows. There were permanent disks of bone on her shoulders, only noticeable if you knew they were there.

Helen had complained loudly about this before Gate gave her a dirty look and said, “You’re on the bitch seat because you’re a bitch. If you want to get off it, stop being a bitch!” This shut her up, though it didn’t stop her from glaring at and pushing Angel. After a sharp turn that ended in Angel slamming into Helen, and her being roughly shoved back, Angel attempted to close her eyes and rest.

Helen took this as a chance to complain. “Why don’t you just get out and fly? It saved us a lot of time and money when you used to do that.”

“I don’t fly very much anymore.” She lied. “It wears me out, and I’m tired already.”

“B.S. You just want to take up space.”

Angel glared at her. “Do you know how hard it is to follow a car from thousands of feet up in the air? I don’t know where we’re going either.”

Point interrupted. “Have you developed any more skill?”

Angel shook her head. “I haven’t been able to practice. It takes up too much energy. I’m still good with a knife though.”

Roger looked at her through the driver’s mirror. “You still got yours?” Angel reached down and slid hers from her thighs, lifting her dress up a bit. Gate watched, interested, but backed off after a warning look from Point. She extended both out to show him, a few menacing inches from Helen. She made sure she and Gate got a good look at them. “Still sharp and shiny I see. Could have run the Captain right through.”

“Yeah. I have to clean them often.” She slid them back, leaving a hand on her right side. “Now everyone let me sleep.” She let her breathing slow and relax, but she didn’t fall asleep. Instead, she recalled memories she had locked away for years.

 

It was a cold December, one that turned your breath into cold fog that burned your lungs, leaving you gasping for wetter air. With Point, Roger, Kore, and Helen, she stood at the edge of a bare corn field. A group of people with guns faced them.

“Give us the girl with wings and we’ll let the rest of you go. We only want her.” Younger then, Angel expected Point to protest and protect her. She stepped back, but Point and Roger pushed her forward. The rest was a blur to her.

“Don’t do this!” she shouted. “I don’t want to go!”

“You have to!” yelled Point. “Or we’ll be killed!” _But then I will be killed._

“Don’t be selfish. It’s us or you.” Said Roger. Her arms were twisted behind her, and a beefy arm strangled her.

“That’s what you get!” Helen’s voice was as sharp as a bell on a quite Sunday morning. “You think you’re so special.”

“You think you’re so much better than us.” Kore hissed like a snake. “Well, the best lamb is always sacrificed, isn’t it?” He was only 13. Angel clawed at the arm, and she threw herself down into the snow. She was filled with a burning rage that distracted her from the ice that numbed her skin.

“Take them instead!” she shrieked. “I’m too much trouble. They offer so much more; take them instead!” Though they were young, she meant Helen and Kore too. As awful as it was, she had no regrets about that. Their words were so cruel.

As the men grabbed her again and she screamed and kicked and clawed, she caught a glimpse of their faces. They looked horrified, and Point looked dark and disappointed, like he had expected her to give herself up. They were absolutely shocked at her words. Roger seemed hurt, like she was at fault. Helen actually clasped a hand across her mouth, surprised that _she_ had dared to say that. Kore’s expression was knit in confusion, like his words were nothing compared to hers, and that she shouldn’t be fighting since she had to have known that she deserved it and she should go quietly.

They did nothing as she was dragged away. What they did hurt far more than hearing the news about her parent’s car crash. It hurt far more than being shuttled around to foster home after foster home.

Her mind flicked forward two years to the night Charlotte had died. Leaving her at the bus stop, Angel had gone to search for shelter. She came across Point in an alley, where he had persuaded her that all was forgiven. He bitterly hung on to his view that she had betrayed them. Angel went along with it and let him express his side of the story because he offered to let her stay at a safe house they had. He didn’t know about Charlotte.

She figured that they had been discovered, and they left behind a clue to her location in order to mislead and distract the hunters. _Yeah. All is forgiven._ Charlotte was murdered that night.

Again, Angel vowed vengeance on the occupants in the vehicle. Not only had their actions killed her, but they had tried to kill her new friends. And that above all, was unforgivable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive..... Writer's block, seriously. Suggestions welcome.


	4. Reunion

Weeks later, Angel was keeping watch on the roof. Because of her nature, that job was given to her. She wasn’t trusted to go on missions, to practice, to read and interpret equipment, yet she was trusted with guarding, cleaning, ordering and picking up supplies occasionally, and sorting them out. This included loading and sorting bullets and bombs. She liked to mix the small bombs and bullets up when sorting. If they went out on a mission, it would definitely complicate things.

But they had been lying low for a while. Point wanted things to calm down before another attempt. They hid out in one of Point favorite locations: an abandoned factory several miles from a small town in Virginia. It consisted of three gigantic, tall rooms with large hanger doors that separated each. The first one was a general living space complete with a pathetic open kitchen, a sofa with a grainy TV, and a shower off to the side. It was only a curtain circled around a shower head that was hammered into the wall over a drain in the floor.

The next area had actual offices to the side which had been claimed as bedrooms long ago. In there were a setup of computers, equipment, even a staircase that lead to the roof and the catwalks that were all along the walls and center. Whatever had been manufactured here had been huge and large scale. Angel guessed planes. The last room was reserved for supplies and had a room that led to a basement.

The factory stood like a lonely fort amidst a thick deep green wood a few yards away from a crumbling forgotten road. In the distance, birds twittered and Angel took the chance to wind down. Gate had gotten her up early so that he could lecture her about properly cleaning his guns (she didn’t know why he didn’t do it himself. She made sure to scrape the inside of the barrel just so, so far enough down so that he couldn’t see it without a flashlight and covered it), Helen had taken up the last of the hot water on purpose (she pointed it out), and Kore had eaten the last scraps of food left. Point had to leave to get more, and it was hours until he returned so she had been hungry all morning, and Roger had made her carry in supplies that Point had gotten on the trip while he watched a game show that involved girls in bikinis and mud.

Angel hated this. She missed the Tower so much. She missed Tony’s smart comments, Pepper’s scolding, Clint’s sneakiness, Natasha’s insight, Bruce’s quiet presence, Darcy’s quirkiness, Steve’s all around patriotism, Thor’s laughter, Jane’s awkwardness, and Loki. Oh how much she missed him. She missed his smile, his eyes, his skin, the way he looked at her, his knowledge of books, his tactics, his jokes, his love… She missed and loved everything about him but she had to stay here. She was so close to completely sabotaging them.

She already planned out exactly what she was going to do; she just needed them to step into the right places. It was like a hunter watching his prey, knowing that the animal would have no choice but to step in the trap. Sometimes she rethought this when she remembered that they had been through what she had, but then their talk about how exactly they would kill the Avengers and just which high ranking official they would mutilate, what they would say, and how they would torment their children, and she was brought back into reality.

Though they had been driven to this life, it was their choice of whether or not they should do the same to others. While Angel also wanted the revenge, she knew what was justice and what was torture.

A low rumbling sound stirred up in the distance, and Angel’s eyes flashed open. Rolling over flat on her belly, she reached over for a pair of binoculars. After a few minutes of waiting, she was rewarding with the sighting of a man on a motorcycle riding towards the factory. She was about to dismiss it until she saw him turn into the parking lot. Sighing, she took the walkie-talkie from her belt.

“Ashley.” She said. Static. “Ashley! We’ve got company. Party of one, Y chromosome.”

A voice crackled onto the other end. “How tough does he look?” Angel peered down at him. His face was covered in his black tinted helmet, but she got a good view of his body. He was tall and lanky and definitely hid some muscles. He looked too much like Loki for Angel’s taste. She didn’t want to know what he would think about what she was doing.

“Scrawny, but he’s packing some. I’d send two for good measure.”

“Good. Helen and Kore have been wanting some action.” The line clicked off. Below, the man was scanning the building, trying to find an entrance. Angel silently wished him away. Didn’t he know how dangerous it was here? She heard the soft click of the door opening. She knew that Helen and Kore would split up and surround him from both sides. Sure enough, he spun around when Kore turned the corner.

Kore was completely bald and that was his most distinguished feature. He wasn’t very noticeable otherwise. The man tried to say something, but Kore was already on top of him. He reared and punched the stranger, who staggered back. Kore went in for another punch and the other man bunched a fist and swung back. Angel already knew the outcome. He grabbed his arm in pain and stepped back.

Kore’s skin was a kind of exoskeleton. It was hard and just barely flexible. Just enough so that he could move, but not very fluently. He always walked like he was a stiff marching solider. Helen came from behind, bones shooting out a few inches from her elbows and palm. She swiped his back with her elbow which made him yell in surprise. With her palm, she jabbed him in the neck just as Kore slammed him to the ground.

Helen none too kindly stamped on his chest. Withering in pain, he could do nothing as Kore wrenched his helmet from his face. Time slowed down and Angel swore her heartbeat slowed. It was Loki. Why was it Loki? Then she thought: of course it was Loki. Kore grabbed him by the neck and Helen grabbed his arm and twisted it up so far his wrist touched his shoulder blade. Before he could even cry out, Kore took his other arm and wrapped it around his own neck.

A personal joke of his own: being choked with your own arm. With him unable to untwist himself, they pushed him into the building. For a few seconds, Angel was frozen. At first she was completely void, but now a mix of emotions that tore at her gut filled her. Biting her lip and flipping her ponytail back, she stood up on shaky legs. _No. Not now. Get it together._

On the cat walk, she looked down at the scene below. Loki had been thrown to the ground and was being circled by Point. Every stood off to the side, ready to pounce. Ashley was there too. She was a short but beautiful red head. With long, long curly hair she was the most fashionable and well put together of the group. Her skin was flame and heat resistant; you could throw her into a fire pit and she’d be fine. She was in her late 20s.

She didn’t do much other than be getaway car. Angel figured that Point let her hang around because she provided a few ‘favors’ for him. And by that she meant that Ashley had sex with him. She was right. Point continued to circle, enjoying his show of power. Loki watched him with an annoyed expression. Angel silently willed him not to see her. Miraculously, he didn’t seem to notice her.

“How’d you find us?”

“Google maps.” His clear voice was sweet music to her ears.

“Don’t screw with me. Why are you here?”

“I’ve heard rumors of a resistance group in the labs. I gathered bits of info and escaped; by the way you really shouldn’t ever mention your location to anyone, which led me to this part of Virginia. I’ve been searching for a while. I was about to give up until I saw that news report. It was obvious that mutants were involved. You almost got the bastard, too.” _Bullshit Loki. I love you._ She knew that he planned to join and once Point accepted him, the others would too. But another part of her wanted him to leave and be somewhere safe.

Suddenly, Point slammed a fist down on a table, making it collapse with a boom that echoed. This was his mutant power: strength. _Damnit! That’s another trip to the thrift store this week._ “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”

“I want to join.”

“Why?” Subdued, he sat up. He lifted the back of his shirt to reveal a large scar that ran from the base of his spine to the middle of his shoulder blades. Gate whistled. Inwardly, Angel winced. That was one of the few scars left from his time with Thanos. “I want to make those who abuse their power pay.” Something in his voice made her wary of him, but she banished the thought. This seemed to satisfy Point. Loki had said all the right things.

“That depends on one thing. What can you do?” Loki stood and held his hand out. Frosty air flowed from his hand, the tips turning blue. She knew Loki was fighting total transformation. Curious, Point tossed him the leg of the broken table. He caught it in that hand and ice crawled along it until it was an icy scepter. Angel took note on how he wasn’t showing his illusion power. He threw it back. Point examined it and nodded.

“You’re in, but you still need to prove yourself. What’s your name?”

“Loki.”

“Point.”

He tilted his head. “To what?”

He rolled his eyes. “You better hope to God that’s stupidity and not being smartass. My name is Point. I’m the leader, you respect me. Call off!”

“Gate.” He touched his neck flaps for effect. “I can shrill louder than a fire alarm being kicked in the junk.” _Wonderful. You really needed to share that didn’t you?_

“Ashley. Can’t burn up. Ash to friends. You call me Ashley.” She winked.

“You’ve seen mine. I’m Helen. Don’t expect me to do what you say.”

Roger held up a hand to Point, who threw him the stick. He spat on it and the wood began to dissolve. “Roger.” He tossed to Ashley’s feet who proceeded to burn it with a lighter. “You have to burn it or it will eat through the floor.” He explained. “Can eat through flesh pretty easily if you get what I mean.” He shot Loki a warning look.

Kore rapped his chest. “Kore. Like a rock.” He bragged. During introductions, Angel had seated herself on the rail and swung her legs over. Pushing off, she unfurled her wings. Dropping, she slowed her decent. With a swish of feathers, she landed on all fours like a cat. Shooting up, she touched her knives on her thighs. Folding her wings in, she eyed him, letting her claws tap on the silver metal.

“Angel. A devil in disguise.”

“I see.” He turned away, dismissive. She acted like she didn’t care and she knew he was faking, but it secretly hurt.

“Ash, Gate. Give him a tour. Birdy, go with him. Loki, she’s newish too and you’ll what she does until you’re up to par and we trust you.”

“Meaning you’re her bitch.” Said Gate, as honest and pleasant as always. She had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. Ashley was already turning away.

Loki looked around, confused. “That’s it?”

“Yep.” Said Point. He pointed to Ashley. “Go already.” He followed her, trailed by Gate and Angel. Ashley drifted back to Angel as Gate pointed to equipment.

“Cute.” She commented in her usual soft voice. “Love that British accent. How easy do think he is?”

“Well, he got beat up pretty easy.”

“Ah, yes. I’d give him two weeks before I have him wrapped around my little finger.”

Angel grinned. _You wanna bet?_ “Give yourself some credit. One week.”

 

Gate swung an arm around Loki, who of course despised it. “Listen.” Said Gate. “Word of advice. Birdy over there has issues, and she’s pretty much off limits. I know she’s hot…” _I will castrate you by the end of this month._ “But hey, Ash is always available instead. You know?”

Loki smiled coyly. “Yes.”

“Fantastic. Now there’s the computers which of course you can’t use yet….” Gate went on to explain, which Loki half drowned out. He could hardly believe that Angel was here let alone helping them, or at least pretending to. Like him, she had to have had an ulterior motive. But being so close to her like this but not being able acknowledge any thing about one another was painful. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and take her back home, but besides the obvious reasons, he couldn’t. Angel had her own reason for being here, and he had to respect that.

“And this is the supplies.” Continued Gate, arm still around Loki. “See, bullets, guns, bombs, hardware, pipes, binoculars, walkie talkies, first aid kits, canteens, batteries; the works.”

“I’m impressed.” It was true. It was a large stock of boxes of all types stacked almost to a person’s height. A lot of dangerous weapons for such few people. Suddenly, a booming crashing sound came from behind. Everyone turned to the source. Ashley was sprawled out on the ground among a few toppled cardboard boxes. Hefty flash lights and tools littered the ground. Ashley growled indignantly and scrambled up, knocking over a case of large batteries.

“Ugh!” she kicked aside a box, denting it. “Who put that box in my way? Angel, clean this up, now!” Loki expected her to do something as Ashley stormed out, but she kept a blank expression. Gate rolled his eyes, knowingly looking at Loki.

“Women! So uh, hey. What’s your thing? You know, ice can’t be it, am I right?”

“I have been told that I have a knack for _mischief._ ” He returned Gate’s expression. “My deceitfulness has gotten me into some trouble, but it never lets me down in a tight spot.”

Gate laughed a little too loudly. “A trickster, eh? At least you’re straightforward. We may have use for you yet!” He released Loki from his grip and patted him on the back. “Well get to work sly, and I’ll see if Point will have a spot for you somewhere more suitable to your talents.” With that, he shut the door and left.

Angel bent down and began to shovel things back into the boxes. After a few moments she glared at Loki.

“Don’t just stand there. Help me!” Distastefully, Loki dropped to his knees and placed things into the boxes. “Never’ use any of this junk anyways.” She muttered. Done, she stood and grabbed a broom that had been leaning against the wall. Tossing it to him, he caught it as he stood up. He looked at her expectantly. She threw her hands in the air. “Clean!”

He blinked patronizingly. With his rolling accent he said “I don’t exactly _do_ manual labor.”

Angel lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t sweep in England? Well here, you do.” Crossing her arms she took three steps to directly face him. Fighting the urge to relax and lose herself in his eyes, she put on a stone cold face. “Listen. We have a hierarchy here. Point’s on top, Ash, Gate, Roger are the nobles and knights. Kore and Helen are peasants, and I’m a serf. You, you’re the stranger in town, but don’t expect to be welcomed as a noble. You earn your way.” Angel scoffed. “But you’ll get there before me.”

“What do you mean?”

She gave him a considering look. “Sweep and I’ll tell you.” Looking back to the broom he grimaced and began to sweep it side to side. Turning away Angel grabbed a book and a bottle of soda. Ungracefully, she hoisted a leg up and climbed up two stacks up boxes. Sitting on the highest one, she set her book down. Taking a knife in one hand and the bottle in the other, she placed the blade a few inches from the lip. Striking away from her, hard, it popped and cracked open, pieces flying across the room leaving a glass cracked top. Green liquid dripped to the floor.

“Ale 8.” She smiled. Loki couldn’t help but smile too. He remembered when Tony was showing off his fancy bottle opener (big and electric) when Angel had grabbed a bottle and hacked the top off. Clint had tried to outdo her by trying and succeeding to shoot the top off, as had Natasha. Tony had blown up a bottle in his attempt. Pepper had been furious. “Now, I’ll only talk when you work.” Sighing, Loki half concentrated on doing that.

“There you go.” She said sarcastically. “First thing, once you join, you’re loyal. No backing out. You have to do what’s best for the group.” There was an edge to her voice. “Even if that means sacrificing yourself. Do what you have to do. I learned that the hard way. I betrayed them and left for a while, but they took me back. By some miracle. _Know where your loyalties lie._ ” Their eyes met as she said that, and Loki saw a flicker of vulnerability. She was scared.

He shot her a comforting look, if only for a second. “I do.”

“You better.” She was back in stone cold mode. “Hmm. You say you’re good at making trouble? They’ll like you. You’ll climb the ranks pretty fast. I’d give it a few days.” She took a swig of her drink. Raising an eyebrow at it, she shook it in his general direction. “Hey. Chill this?” He placed his hand on it and let a light frost coat it. Shaking her head, she chuckled a bit.

“Man. Who let you out?” She was asking whether S.H.E.I.L.D sent him or he came of his own accord.

He returned the look. In a deeper voice, “Oh they couldn’t keep me for long. I was too much for them. Didn’t put up much of a fight about it.” _They let me come._

“Ha! Anyway, don’t get involved in any plans you’re not in. None of mine either. I have a schedule.” _I know what I’m doing, don’t interfere._

He smiled. “Only if I have a better one.” _I don’t care; I will help you if you need it. “_ I’m more likely to come up with a plan rather than be in it.”

“Ah. An observer. You like being on the sidelines.” _You’re here to spy, aren’t you?_

“Indeed.” _Yes I am._

“Hm. Well, you better be careful.” She ended the conversation there. Popping a stick of gum her mouth, she yanked out her iPod and played ‘Tiptoe’ by Imagine Dragons out loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter, yay!


	5. Going Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay. I have no excuse. I've been busy and distracted and just haven't been writing. I hope you continue to read and enjoy and even if you're mad at me, thank you for clicking on this despite all that.

After dinner (which was just a late meal of peanut butter sandwiches. Angel ate five in total) and a few hours of mindless television (Loki didn’t care for Roger’s choice of programing), they trickled away into their bedrooms. When he asked where he would be sleeping, Point threw him a pillow and blanket and pointed (no pun intended) to the couch. Roger gave him a stern warning about staying there until morning. Angel slept on the roof, which no one questioned.

The next day, Point sent her, Roger, and Loki to get another table. On the way, they stopped by a gas station. Loki had gone in while Roger fueled up. Little did he know that Loki was passing on information; he had scribbled down some notes onto a lose bottle wrapper before sticking it back on. An agent would soon retrieve it. While he was at the counter purchasing a bag of chips, he spotted another item he couldn’t pass up. Climbing into the back seat, he tossed a bag at Angel, in the passenger seat.

“What’s that?” asked Roger. She furrowed her eyebrows and glared back at Loki. He could tell she was trying not to smile. He looked at it and clucked. “Sunflower seed, huh? Right up your alley, Birdy.” She threw them back at him, unnecessarily hard, and snatched up his.

“I paid for that with my own money.” She gave him a look, her lips twitching up. Driving onwards, they arrived at a thrift store and picked up a table. Loki thought it was ridiculous to argue prices over a fifteen dollar table, but that was his opinion. Then they went back and the rest of the day was relatively uneventful.

The next day Ash received an update about Tony Stark’s location. He was going to be at a convention in Chicago on Friday. Angel, Kore, and Helen were banished from the room. Loki was asked for his opinion.

“How many are you sending?” He asked.

“At least four. Me, Gate, Roger, and Angel.”

Loki shook his head. “I advise against it. The more you send; the higher chance of capture and the fewer soldiers for your cause. I suggest sending one or two with the skill set to tackle this mission. An infiltration perhaps? Sniper? Though that didn’t go well the last time.”

Point briefly glared at him but seemed to consider what he had said. Loki had to stop himself from smiling as Point began to elaborate on these plans. Tony was stubborn. It would take an army to kill him. Only a moron would believe it would take so few to destroy someone like him. Point decided on sending Gate. He would leave on Tuesday and take a train.

He left two days later with a gun, bullets, and a few grenades. He was arrested on Thursday in his hotel room. They couldn’t figure out how he was caught since no details were publicly released. But Angel knew that his gun may have exploded and his grenades were dysfunctional. And Loki knew that they might have been tipped off. Point became more paranoid and distrustful. Angel decided it was time to leave.

Late that night, she flew down to the nearest power line. With a swipe of her palm, the wind cut the line smoothly. Flying back, she pierced the tires of the vehicles outside, including the motorcycle and excluding Roger’s car. She did not trust Loki’s new motorcycle driving skill, even if he was a better driver than her. Through the roof, she crept down the staircase. The room was so dark that she might as well be blind. But still, Angel managed to find her way to the computers. She took a few wires and unplugged them then sliced them down the middle. Cutting the inner wires, she stuffed them back into their casing and plugged the wires back in.

 _There. Now they can’t tell how I screwed the wires up if they manage to get the power back on soon._ Backing away, she moved to the door to wake Loki up. In the center of the room, she froze as a hand grabbed her shoulder and something cool and steely was pressed to her head. _A gun._ She reached for her knives on her thighs. Then the hand gently squeezed her shoulder. She grinned. _Loki._ Then the lights winked on with a heavy click.

There was Ash, who yelled for Point. Loki raised another gun up to her. She silenced but Point entered.

“Hey!” he barked. “Drop it.”

“Move to the door.” Loki told Angel, a menacing sneer on his lips. “Or both you and they will be shot.” She did just that. “Sorry I can’t stay.” He said to Point, who just stood there. Angel could almost see the wheels in his head, plotting.

“Oh don’t worry. I may leave her alive if she cooperates and if you don’t interfere.” Angel winked at Point, guaranteeing some false assurance. Only later would he realize that her wink had been a bit too smug. They walked out, each step dripping with anticipation to the only car without its tires slashed. She got in, he got in, and they drove away. After a few minutes, Angel decided it was safe to talk.

She looked at him, a little grin on her face. “Hey Loke.” He tore his eyes from the road, a mischievous smile on his. “Hello darling.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more.” She reached out to stroke his cheek, while his head was glancing at the road like it was the distraction. “You know, I really shouldn’t right now.”

She averted her eyes. “Yeah. Sorry.”

He put a hand on her shoulder and grinned mischievously. “But I do. I was mad at first but I understand what it’s like. I understand the need.” Angel looked back at him and smiled. Fiddling with her seatbelt, she managed to lean towards him far enough to kiss his cheek. She got a glimpse of something in the back seat. They shared a look and he winked; a smug grin on his lips which she reached up and kissed.

“Okay, I really love you now.” She reached back and grabbed her bag. “I thought I would have to leave this all behind!”

“I wish I could have gotten you something to eat.”

“It’s fine.” As she said that her stomach growled, and she glanced at it. Loki gave her a regretful look but she shook her head. They road in comfortable silence as Angel tried to catch up on sleep. She didn’t want to admit this of course, but she was starving and all she wanted to do was have a thanksgiving feast and a nap. The best kind of nap. The kind you wake up from early in the morning because you laid down the second you got home after a busy day, and open your eyes to find drool on your cheek and a dry tongue.

And only an hour in, something went wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to spend more time at this place, but I get writers block every time I try to write something. But we'll definitely see some of these characters again. In other news, song recommendations. "Don't" By Ed Sheeran (language warning though it's censored) and "Chandeiler" By Sia (Watch the music video, the girl in it is 11!) Also, "Save Rock and Roll" (language too) by Fall Out Boy. In fact, watch the series of music videos for their new album. It's called the "Young Blood Chronicles" and it's all on YouTube. Tip: "Save Rock and Roll" is last and "Miss Missing You" is before it. I think it was uploaded out of order. Hopefully exposing you to good music will earn your forgiveness!

**Author's Note:**

> And straight to the point. And if you think the Star Wars prequels are better, you need help. Sorry for mistakes, I didn't read through this first. Btw, do you how hard it is to update when your annoying twin sister is trying to read over your shoulder and pulling at your hair? Yeash. Anyway, updates for this work will be much, much, slower. With weeks of testing, homework, and lack of time and ideas, I won't be able to work on this very much, which I hate. Though I do have a short Loki/OC story I'm working on and off on so that's something to look forward to.


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